ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A sign of statewide policy — or a message erased? That’s the debate sweeping across Florida, including right here in St. Pete.
The remnants of the words "Black History Matters” still linger after crews worked to remove the colorful mural Friday night — but not without resistance.
Two pastors were arrested as they silently protested — practicing what they preach.
The painting had been on display on the street in front of the Carter G. Woodson Museum for years, but now it's gone.
"I think it’s just erasure, plain and simple. I live in a state where we ban books that teach accurate black history, where we punish teachers for teaching accurate black history," said Rev. Ben Atherton-Zeman.
Atherton-Zeman, a pastor with the Unitarian Universalist Church, spent Friday night in jail after being arrested for kneeling in prayer and trying to stop crews from removing the mural.
He and another pastor are now facing charges for resisting an officer without violence.
"Honestly, I was kind of focused on my prayers, but yeah, they did ask us to move and I said I felt really called to be there and to have my knees on this beautiful mural and that I would stay there until my prayers were answered," said Atherton-Zeman.
But they weren’t.
A new state law now requires the removal of all artwork on pavement.
Governor Ron DeSantis, in a press conference on Tuesday, said the decision isn’t about the content of the art, but about safety.
"They had to remove a back of the blue," said DeSantis. "They had to remove some of these other things .And so,so it spans different things, but we've made the policy decision in Florida, you know, we're not going to use the roads for that purpose. The roads are there for either pedestrians to cross or cars to go, and that's what it's going to be."
Atherton-Zeman disagrees.
"There is science to prove that it is not really a safety hazard, and I think that’s an excuse," said Atherton-Zeman. "I think the real goal is eraser, and I won’t have it. I’ll do whatever I can. I had to be there last night. They were doing their jobs, I had to do mine."
While the mural is gone, others remain around St. Pete.
And because of that, protestors are planning a demonstration this Sunday afternoon along Central Avenue.
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